Slider controlled fastener



Dec. 1, 1942. N. WAHL SLIDER CONTROLLED FASTENER Filed Fegb. 12, 1941 2 Sheets-Sheet l IIIIIIIIIIIIIIIII' 53 INVENTOR. BY N/coms WAHL.

Dec. 1, 1942. y N, WAHL 2,303,870

SLIDER GONTROLLED FASTENER Filed Feb. 12, 1941 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Jim vlii-l'az-wubliplliilill,

4 65 INVENTOR.

N/COLfl 5 [VA/14.

ATTORNEY.

Patented Dec. 1, 1942 SLIDER CONTROLLED FASTENER Nicolas Wahl, New York, N. Y., assignor to Wahl Brothers Inc., New York, N. Y., a corporation of New York Application February 12, 1941, Serial No. 378,611

In Canada February 16, 1940 10 Claims.

This invention concerns slider controlled fastenets.

The general type of devices with which fasteners of this invention are classified comprises a pair of rows of links, which are arranged upon the goods to be separably connected or upon tapes which in turn are mounted upon such goods, and a slider movably upon the pair of rows of links. The slider places the links into mesh, so that the rows of links normally are disengaged from each other where they enter or leave one end of the.

slider, but are interlocked, where they extend from the slider in the opposite direction.

It is an object of this invention to shape the rows of links in the material of the goods or of a tape, or to fashion the rows of links in a continuous sheet material which is then superimposed upon the goods or a tape.

An improved manner of attaching the ends of the links upon the goods or tape in which they are formed, or of attaching a sheet material, in which the links are fashioned in the goods or tape, is also an object of this invention.

Another object of this invention provides for separable engagement of goods face to face, i. e. not edgewise but sideways or in a direction substantially normal to the plane of the goods, and for rows of links and for sliders permitting and facilitating such engagement, and a converse disengagement.

The invention further provides that the sliders may close, and reclose in opposite movement, both closings'bringing the materials together face to face, or movement in one direction closing in that fashion, whereas opposite movement closes edgewise. The slider may be arranged for interlocking and for disengaging goods simultaneously.

The invention likewise provides for a slider shaped to engage the rows of links in a manner, which prevents pulling apart of the goods, un-, less the slider be actuated relatively to the goods.

Where the rows of links are superimposed upon the faces of goods or tapes, and those faces are swung together for mesh and lock, the invention provides that opposite, flared sides of a slider may engage, not only over the rows of links, but over the goods or tapes as well.

The invention provides at least flexible, or resilient links, so that interlocked rows of the invention nest within each other in a supple way.

The invention generally provides for a pliable fastener organization, in which the locking is effected by yieldably interengaged parts, i. e. for abandonment of the pronounced and exact hook and eye principle required by the prior art, thus 55 in connection with the embodiment of:

also avoiding the rigid prerequisites of the prior art concerning relative spacing of the links.

The invention further provides for a reciprocal, extensive overlapping abutment between links of the rows; this may result, by way of capsuled telescoping, in a substantially closed, tubular conti- ,nuity of the interlocked rows.

These and other objects of this invention, i. e. of a product thereof as well as concerning the method of making such product will be better understood from the following description of specific embodiments of the invention and of the steps of their fabrication, such description being given, however, for purposes of illustration only, and not in limitation of the invention.

In the drawings:

Fig. 1 shows a sheet of material which is being progressively reduced to a blank for a fastener of this invention, which is then attached to the edge of suitable material or to a tape.

Fig. 2 is a corresponding end view, Figs. 1 and 2 being drawn at a smaller scale than the following figures.

Fig. 3 is a View corresponding to that of Fig. 1, illustrating the continuation of the steps there started, up to a mounted fastener strip or row of links. Progressively it then shows, how such a strip is locked witha similar strip by a slider of this invention.

Fig. 4 is a corresponding end view.

Fig. 5 is a corresponding side view.

Fig. 6 is the side view of a modified slider of this invention.

Fig. 7 shows a rear view of said slider, the slider being applied to another embodiment of fastener strips or rows of links of this invention.

Fig. 8 shows a corresponding end view.

Fig. 9 shows, in a partly sectional plan-view another embodiment where rows of links are attached on their broad sides to themarginal por- -tions of goods overlapping each other from opposite sides.

Fig. 10 is a corresponding side view. i Fig. 11 is an end (top) view of the slider used and 10. K

Fig. 12 is a front view of registering .pieces of goods, with rows of links partly attached along their back sides to the marginal portions of the goods which are to be separably attached to each other.

Fig. 13 is an end (bottom) view of one of the sliders of the embodiment of Fig. 12.

Fig. 14 is a cross-section of interlocked fastener rows between the marginal portions of Figs. 9

goods overlapping each other from opposite sides.

Figs. 15, 16 and 1'7 are cross-sectioned end views of various embodiments of rows of links made in a sheet material.

Fig. 18 is the end view of a modification of a slider, which is, for instance, applicable to the fastener embodiments of Figs. 9, 12, 15 etc.

Fig. 19 shows a developed blank piece for a fastener row of the type shown in Fig. 15.

Fig. 20 is a developed blank of sheet material for rows of links like those in Figs. 16 and 17.

Similar numerals refer to similar parts throughout the various views:

While the flexibility of the sheet material used should in the final state be limited to resiliency, a sheet metal like rolled copper, or a plastic sheet such as Celluloid, or sheet goods such as a fabric impregnated with a plastic may yield in the first blanking operation so as to allow a rounding and more particularly a rounding of the top edges of the ends cut. When the herring bone-shaped ends ll of Fig. l are cut from a band of sheet material I2 they may thus be rounded on the top sides, as illustrated by the cross-section l3 shown, where the narrow remaining margin 14 of the band, which serves to keep the ends II in array, has been sectioned away in the left bottom comer of that figure.

The first blanking step may be followed by a bending operation. The band is thus shown bent towards the lower end of Fig. 1, the bends imparted to the band being shown in the end view of Fig. 2.

The tips l6 of the ends Il may now be secured in array upon the edge of one of the fabrics I! to be interconnected by a fastener of this invention, or upon any suitable tape. The securing may be brought about by a suitable adhesive or cement, or by fusion, or by a thermo-setting process, or by any other fastening way known by itself in the art.

The unattached side of the band, where the ends are interconnected by the narrow margin I4, is now swung back onto the rear of the fabric or tape I '|,-see Fig. 2, arrow m,-and is there secured in the same or in a similar manner, as was described concerning tip it, the fabric or tape extending up to the tips 16 being, however, swung up at is straight upward, in order to allow the narrow margin H to project clear, as shown at the top tothe right of Fig. 3. Of course the attachment of the tips it of the ends II, and of their other terminals near the narrow margin [4, to a fabric or tape Il may also be brought about or helped by mechanical means, such as sewing, riveting and the like, the latter being illustrated by the next embodiment to be described herein. Then the narrow margin I4 is cut away, as indicated at It and the turned up portion IQ of the fabric or tapes l1 may be straightened out again.

A pair of pieces of fabric or tapes similarly bordered in the said fashion with fasteners may then be reduced to interlocking engagement by a slider, e. g. 20, and it may help to reshape the interlocked fastener by pressure applied from opposite sides, i. e. in directions normal to the plane of the fabric or tapes extending therefrom, and such application of pressure may be accompanied by the application of heat resetting the looped ends in a position corresponding to their locked formation. The final shape, which the looped ends may thus assume, e. g. a conical tilt 7 11 a tape is of predetermined stiffness, or if on two or more inner sides of a link, is indicated in the end view of Fig. 4.

The looped ends extend at an incline from the respective fabric or tape, which allows the looped ends of one row of ends or links to nest within those of the other, and the converse is likewise true.

By way of contrast with the ordinary, separable fastener, the links are preferably spaced closer than they are wide, as a matter of fact, the closer the spacing, the better the locking effect.

While rows of links of this inventionmay be controlled by sliders of the known construction, the close spacing of the links, and any extended engagement of tips it upon the fabric or tapes i! may permit only a gradual swerving of the rows of links in or substantially in the plane of the fabric or tapes attached thereto. But rows of links of this invention may just as readily be brought into interlocked engagement by being swung sideways, i. e. transverse, into mesh, the respective pieces of fabric or tapes being shifted for such purpose from a position, where one is spaced above the other, into level with each other.

A slider 20 serving for such purpose may therefore be longitudinally of substantially uniform width, as shown in Fig. 3, having the narrowest depth of cross-section, i. e. normal to the fabric or tapes-near one end, or at a point 2| slightly removed from said end, where it substantially snugly fits over the rows of links interlocked thereby, as seen in Fig. 5. But at the other (upper) end the slider 20 forkedly swerves out in directions opposite away from the interlocked rows of links, so that the slider offers, above and below, the branched channels 22, in which the separated rows of links are spaced above each other. The separation is accentuated by the transverse interconnecting bridg 23 of the slider 20, such bridge separating the channels where they are farthest apart.

Corresponding to the curvature of the channels 22, or perhaps not quite as much, the slots 24 of slider 20, which clear the fabrics or tapes extending from the rows of links, swerve on opposite sides up and down, respectively. Handle 40 is accommodated substantially centrally upon slider 20, at the front.

The branches or channels 22 may extend farther and may then swing again intosubstantial parallelism with each other, analogous to the arrangement shown at 25 in Figs. 7 and 12. Such arrangement may be useful, when it is not desirable that the goods may be separated by Dulling them apart. Since the channels 22 angularly flare apart at their ends, the slider will slide down, when the rows of links are pulled apart thereabove. Whereas a slider, in which the channels or branches are swunginto substantial parallelism at their ends 25, will prevent such pulling apart, and automatic sliding of the slider. There the slider must be actuated relatively to the rows of links, in order to permit separation.

At the other end of the slider, its lower end in Figs. 3 and 5, there may be a flaring out, e. g. to the front and to the back, but preferably to a lesser degree than at the upper end of the slider, as it is indicated at 26 in the drawings. This arrangement will help in reuniting the rows of links, if they have, for some reason or other, separated at the supposedly locked end. The rows will be reunited where they have thus come apart, if the slider is moved back in that direction.

, unitefthe rows of mal to the plane goods to be connected by a separable fastener of this invention, such as leather, have either a satisfactory inherent stiffness or may readily be stillened marginally by impregnation, rows of links I of this invention may be directly formed in such tape or goods, 1. e. the looped ends serving as links in accordance with this invention may be directly out and formed in the material of the tape or goods itself. A margin interconnecting the tips of the ends may be tied, e. g. sewed or cemented, back upon the tape or goods near the roots of the ends, as indicated at 85 in Figs. 17 and 20. But if such a continuous double layer we may use free ends which are swung or looped back and secured at their tips upon the continuous part of the tape or goods, as illustrated in the embodiment of Figs. 6-8.

Here straight ends 21 exemplarily take the place of the hen'ing bone-shaped ends ll of the embodiment of Figs. 1-5, although they still extend at a slant from the continuous body of the goods 28. This modification also illustrates, that the looped ends may be disposed substantially completely to one side of the goods 28, instead of projecting to both sides of the goods. We further note, similar to the loops of the first embodiment shown, that the material of the loops may be slightly tilted to extend in conical rather than cylindrical fashion on the sides or also at the tips of the loops. This embodiment further illustrates, that a loop does not necessarily have to be closed back upon itself, but the tip 29 of one end may be tied back onto a point near the root of an adjacent end. An incline of the loop is however desirable. For purposes of this invention cooperating rows are preferably inclined in the same direction, i. e. they may be symmetrical.

If the goods, and more particularly the ends serving as loops are impregnated for stiffening purposes, e. g. by a resinous solution setting into a resilient solid, an impregnating material, may be chosen, which at the same time will serve to bind, e. g. glue, the tips 29 back upon the continuous portion of the goods 28. The'tied back tips 29 may be additionally mechanically secured, or the tying back may be exclusively effected by mechanical means, such as sewing when there is a continuous margin like 85, eye-lets or grommets 30 being indicated in Fig. 7 as mechanical fastening means.

renders the edge of the tape or goods too stifi,

A slider branched in a plane normal to the to the plane of the goods interconnected, the

branches 33 being extended far enough to extend substantially parallel with each other at their ends, as shown at 25. Thus the links will catch upon the opposite, parallel sides, when an attempt is made to separate by pulling the gaping end of the goods or tapes apart. Manipulation of the slider, e. g. by handle 36, is therefore required for the opening operation.

Although'the branches are fiared apart in the plane o f the goods interconnected, the flare 34 at the other end of the slider, which serves to reif they have been accidentally parted at the supposedly interlocked end, is flared, byway of example, in a direction noror the goods to be'connected;

and, by way of example again, it is swerved only to one side, thus illustrating that it is not necessary that this swerving, or, at the other end of the slider such relative swerving of the branches must not necessarily take place in opposite directions, but that one side of the slider may be straight, and that the flare for reuniting or for branching may be limited to one side, only, of the slider.

Corresponding to the arrangement of the rows of goods, which are offset relatively to the goods upon which'they are arrayed in one direction only, slots 35 are similarly offset, extending along the fiat wall of the slider.

Links of sheet material, which are successive loops of a coiledfiat filament, may also be arranged upon fabric or upon tapes in the manner of this invention.

This method of attachment comes particularly into question, when the links are broader than high andthey are to be interlocked by way of the apex represented by a broad side, instead of being interlocked endwise, where the apices are on the narrow sides asshown in the embodiments of Figs. 1-8.

An example where the meshed apices are on the broad sides of the fiat coils, and where fiat sides 53 and 51, opposite the apices 54 and 58 of the rows of links 55 and 59, respectively, are cemented to adjacent sides 'of overlying materials 56 and 60, as illustrated in Fig. 14. There the back side 53 of coils 55 crosses outside of a loop of the coil 59 substantially at the broad side apex 58 of the latter. That is recognized in the plan view of Fig. 9, where at 6i 2. piece of the goods 56 is cut away in order to display the interlocked coils 55 and 59. Accordingly the rows of links may be arrayed for a broad side engagement, as exemplified in Fig. 9, etc., the loops being tilted in the direction of the row, so that the apices are offset in such direction relatively to the roots in analogy to the arrangement of the prior embodiments where the oblong loops are endwise engaged upon each other.

The ends of rows of links 55 and 59 are protected by suitable caps 62. When a slider is to be applied to a particular one of these broad or fiat embodiments of this invention, and it is to engage,-according to the old art,over the rows of links only, it will have to clear the whole back sides of the fastener rows attached to the goods, so that it assumes the shape illustrated in Fig. 18, where pairs of converging channel portions 63, 63 and 64, 64 are interconnected by the yoke 65 and the slider is manipulated by the handle 66 protruding on one side. Each pair 63, 64 of upper and lower channel portions would then engage over the curved opposite edges of stringers 59 and 55, respectively.

But when fastener rows, like 55 and 59, are superimposed upon the margins of the goods, and right near the edges of the goods, and the goods are comparatively flat, as indicated in Figs. 9, 10, 12 and 14, then two outer channel pore tions Bland 68 may extend from yoke or bridge river the marginal portions of the goods.

Thus a slider 10, which is used where the goods 56 and 60 overlap each other from opposite sides in accordance with Figs. 9 and 10, assumes substantially an S-shape in the end view of Fig. 11. The channel portions 12 and 13, which are complementary to the channel portions 61 and 68, respectively, are reduced to mere stubs or short extensions preventing the goods 56 and 60 with their respective rows of links 55 and 59 from sliding laterally out of the slider 18. The slider handle 1| extends frontwise from channel portion 81.

When the overlying goods do not overlap each other from opposite sides as it was described in connection with the goods 58 and 88 of Figs. 9 and 10, but they register with each other along the margins where rows of links55 and 58 are attached thereto as it is illustrated in connection with goods and 18 of Fig. 12, then a slider I4, having channel portions 81 and 88 engaging over the goods I5 and I8, assumes in an end view'the M-shape illustrated in Fig. 13.

If for some reason the interlocked portion 19 of the separablefastener shown at the top of Fig. 12 comes apart, it maybe interlocked again by a return upward motion of slider ll over the straight upper end of goods I5 and 18, provided the opposite flares TI and I8 provide for a short distance .a curved portion. corresponding to the curvature of the portions 8| and 88 flaring apart at the other, bifurcated end of slider 14. The flares l1 and 18 also make it possible to grip slider 14 firmly at the contracted portion for the purpose of manipulation thereof, so that a separate handle is not necessary. A swerving back into parallelism of the forked channels, as indicated at 25, prevents the separable fastener from opening, unless the slider is manipulated.

Fasteners of this invention being openabie in both directions, a button and button hole, a hook and eye, or similar fastening means may be provided on the goods near those ends of the rows of links, which are to remain normally assembled.

By reason of the fact that a separable fastener of this invention may be opened and closed in either direction, upon which feature the action of flares I1 and I8 is also dependent, a plurality of sliders may be arranged upon a separable fastener of this invention, which was not possible with most separable fasteners of the old art.

. This feature involves a number of advantages, be

of such lengths of separable fasteners may be cut off from the supply contained on such a roll,

and each of the sections may contain its own slider, because a separable fastener of this invention may contain a plurality of sliders.

As indicated in Fig. 12, the fact that a plurality of sliders may be accommodated on a single pair of continuous rows of links, may further be utilized for retaining them in exact alignment, even along a disengaged portion. Fig. 12 shows, for instance, the goods 15 and I6 in the process of being applied to the fastener I9. They are being applied just below slider 18, slider I8 being moved down after the goods have been attached, e. g., glued, on opposite sides onto the separated rows of links and 59 below. But in order to retain the separated rows of links 55 and 59 in predetermined alignment, although they are separated below slider .14, they are gathered in again in and locked by the slider 88 below, slider 88 being advanced down, as

tion to open the fasteners at any point to a limited length, they may also serve to interconnect goods to a limited length only, the point of such locking of the fastener being shiftable by moving the oppositely disposed sliders in unison.

In a specific instance the pair of oppositely disposed sliders may be combined into a double slider 88 shown in Fig. 12, where a pair of bifurcations extend in opposite directions from a central contraction, being subdivided by the bridges 88 at the respective ends.

Since the back sides 53 and 51 of the loops of the coils 55 and 59 of Fig. 14 are attached to continuous sheets 58 and 88, these back sides 58 and 51 may also themselves be executed as continuous sheets. This leads to embodiments like those of Figs. 15, 16 and 17.

A row of links offering the end view of Fig. 15 may be made from a sheet of material 8| shown in Fig. 19. A marginal portion of sheet 8| is slotted, so that there is a fringe of flat ends 82 with narrower end portions or tips 88. when the ends 82 are looped back onto the sheet 8| and the end portions orl.-tips 88 are hooked through suitable perforations 88 in the material 8|, the fastener of Fig. 15 results.

When the material 8| is particularly still, being for instance made of a sheet of spring metal. it may not be necessary to tie the looped back flat end 82 onto the sheet 8|.

The slots between ends 82 may be imposed upon the sheet material 8| at points removed from the edge thereof, in which case there remains a solid marginal portion 85 as sh'own in Fig. 20. When the solid marginal portion 88 is fused, cemented, tacked, sewed or otherwise attached to the body of the sheet material 8|, after such portions together with the interposed flat ends 82 have been looped back, we obtain the fastener of Fig. 16 if thesolid marginal portion 85 is extended into the loop, or we obtain the stringer of Fig. 17 in case the marginal portion 85 is extended and attached to the body of the sheet material 8| in the direction in which the wires 82 have been looped back,

Such rows of links do, of course, not have to be attached to the goods interlocked thereby, but they may be formed directly in such goods, and the marginal fastener portion of the goods may be suitably reinforced, by sizing for instance, in connection with paper, best or bark, hide, plastics, textiles, or foils of any limp materials, in order to permit them to resume their sliderengaging form, whenever they have been distorted, e. g. pressed flat. The interlocking of any goods connected with fasteners of this invention is not only not impaired, but becomes stronger if possible, when the looped, interlocked ends slightly distend or distort under tension.

It is interesting to notice that some of the rows of the loops of the instant invention are subject to coupling by manipulation, since they offer smooth surfaces over which the fingers of a' hand may glide in slider fashion. The arrangement of the rows of loops in relation to the goods from than thickness, each 1001) being spaced from its which they extend permits approach for the purpose of applying progressive pressure in the desired fashion, for instance in the embodiment of Figs. 7 and 8 and more particularly in connection with the embodiment of Figs. 12 and 13. In the latter case the hand may offer a grip from opposite sides in substituting for the side walls 61 and 68 and one finger of the same hand may'additionally take the place of the bridge or yoke 69.

Inasmuch as even the human hand may fully replace a mechanical slider in connection with fasteners of this invention, the terms slider or slider control are subject to correspondingly abroad interpretation.

Having regard to the foregoing disclosure, which sets forth examples of the process and product of this invention by way of illustration, but not in limitation thereof, I claim:

1. As a blank for a slider controlled row of fastener links, a resilient sh'eet of material having a continuous portion and parallel ends extending at a slant from one edge of said portion.

2. As a blank for a slider controlled row of fastener links, a slotted sheet of material, the sheet having slots subdividing it into substantially parallel slantedly registering ends.

3. A slide fastener comprising two series of complementary locking members fixed in symmetrical rows on the respective goods to be joined thereby, the locking members in each row consisting of substantially parallel loops of a noncircular filament having greater width than thickness, each loop being spaced fromits adjacent loops by a. distance less than the width of the filament and being attached to the goods at an angle with respect to the line of attachment, so that the loops in one row are staggered with respect to those in the other and are adapted to enter at an angle between adjacent complementary loops of the other row and nest within along an extended line of contact at the sides of the loops,

4. A slide fastener comprising two series of complementary locking members fixed in symmetrical rowson the respective goods to be joined thereby, the locking members in each row consisting of substantially parallel loops of a pile. ble non-circular filament having greater width adjacent loops by a distance less'than the width of the filament and being attached to the goods at an angle with respect to the line of attachment, so that the loops in one row are staggered with respect to those in the other and are adapted to enter at an angle between adjacent complementary loops of the other row and nest within them along an extended line of contact at the sides of the loops.

5. A fastener as described in claim 4, wherein the locking members of each series are the convolutions of a coil of the filament.

6. A fastener as described in claim 4, wherein the filaments of which the locking members are constructed are parallel projecting strips of the goods to be joined by the fastener, which strips are cut in the goods near the margin of the latter at an angle with respect to the remaining uncut margin of the goods and'are doubled back and reconnected to the uncut portion of the goods near the margin of the latter so as to form projecting loops. r

7. A fastener as described in claim 4, wherein the filament is of a cross section which is rounded on the edge correspondingto the outer surface of a loop and is non-convex at the edge corresponding to the inner portion of a loop.

8. A fastener as described in claim 4, wherein each series of locking members is attached to the face of the goods near a margin of the latter.

9. A fastener as described in claim 4, wherein the locking members in each series are a row of parallel filaments projecting from the goods at an angle with respect to the edge of the goods, each of which filaments is bent near its middle at an angle opposed to that at which the filament extends from the goods and each of which filaments is also bent laterally so as to form a loop, both ends thereof being fixed to the goods.

10. A fastener as described in claim 4, wherein the filament of each loop has its width substantially parallel to the line of attachment of the row of loops to the goods at the point of attach ment to the goods but is twisted slightly in at least one other portion of the loop so that its width is at an angle with respect to the line of attachment.

NICOLAS WAHL. 

